Monday, March 15, 2010

It's not news that men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for HIV and other STDs. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released at last week's National STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta, simply underscores this point. What is news is the technology and the collaborations created to fight this trend.

In response to the new data, ISIS has partnered with GayCities.com to provide referrals to free and low-cost HIV and STD testing in 95 U.S. cities. On GayCities.com, users can already find reviews of gay bars, restaurants, hotels and events, in locations from Seattle to Jacksonville. With the addition of community organizations that provide HIV and STD testing, gay men and other MSM can now "take charge of their health in a trusted place online where they already spend a lot of time," according to Deb Levine, ISIS' Executive Director.

The data released by CDC indicate that rates of HIV infection among gay men and other MSM are more than 44 times higher than rates among heterosexual men and more than 40 times higher than women. Rates of syphilis, an STD that can facilitate HIV infection and if left untreated, may lead to sight loss and severe damage to the nervous system, are reported to be more than 46 times higher among gay men and other MSM than among heterosexual men and more than 71 times higher than among women.

"This new data is a clarion call to deal with the persistent neglect of the health of gay and bisexual men across the country," said William Smith, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD). ISIS' partnership with GayCities.com is another cutting edge way to increase access to services for those who need it most.

About ISISISIS Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization based in Oakland, CA whose mission is to use technology, new media and mobile for sexual health promotion and disease prevention. ISIS’ award-winning projects include SexINFO and Hookup text messaging campaigns, inSPOT, an STD ecard partner notification service, and Sex::Tech, an annual conference focusing on sexual health, technology and youth. www.isis-inc.org

About GayCities.com GayCities is the most comprehensive, user-friendly online travel guide for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Designed to bring useful, up-to-date information on gay bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants, and beaches to the masses, GayCities is community-driven, with thousands of listings and reviews, so that users can find out what travelers really think about a destination. GayCities currently provides in-depth reviews and information on destinations for 160 cities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.gaycities.com.